‘Not the end of the road’ for Sophie as she exits The Voice

ARDBOE singer Sophie Griffin may have lost out on The Voice after being sent home at the weekend but the future is more than bright for the talented teen.

Speaking to the Mid-Ulster Mail this week the 17 year-old former St Pius X College student revealed that she will stay in London to pursue her musical dream. On Saturday night coach Will.i.am sent the Northern Ireland singer home after she came up against fellow Team Will contestant Joelle Moses.

“It was a shock,” Sophie told the MAIL, “I always try to stay positive and I wasn’t really prepared for leaving but Will has been in touch with me since the show and so has Dante, so I have to believe that the reason it happened was because there is a bigger and better experience to come out of the show.

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“The Voice has been the best experience of my life and I was so close to everyone on the show, I was heartbroken because I have been doing the show since November and when I knew that it was over, I cried for ages. but I believe 100 per cent that it’s happened this way for better reasons.”

“I have decided to say in London so I can work on music, I’ve made so many great contacts and I’ve also been doing a bit of song writing so I think this is the best place for me to be at the moment.”

Sophie also described the support she has received since leaving the show as ”crazy” particularly from home.

She said: “I have had so much support, on Twitter I have something crazy like 15,600 followers who have sent me messages telling me to keep going and to never give up. And I won’t.”

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Sophie has also backed a number of possible winners of The Voice crown, including Team Will contestants Francesca Wood and Tyler James, who she said she became close to on the show.

“I love everyone and I am really close to Frances Wood and Tyler James on the show so I want them to do really well. I am also a massive fan of Vince Kidd, Vince’s music would be the type of music that I love to listen to so I would also live him to win. But I am routing for a lot of people. Everyone is so talented.”

The Loughshore starlet also pipped The Voice mentor Danny O’Donoghue’s team to do well in the show.

She said: “Team Danny is so, so strong and I think a lot of people have underestimated them. But Danny definitely has one of the strongest teams, apart from Team Will of course!”

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On Saturday night judges Jessie J and The Script singer Danny O’Donoghue’s teams will mirror last week’s show down between teams headed by Will.i.am and legendary singer Tom Jones. It will be up to the public to vote to keep their favourite acts in with the bottom two facing their coach’s axe.

SPOT THE STARLET!

ALTHOUGH she’s missed out on The Voice the MAIL has no doubt that local girl Sophie Griffin is set to make her mark on the music world.

Pictures from our archives show how the former St Patrick’s PS pupil has been wowing audiences since the tender age of ten with her musical talents.

In 2006 our photographer snapped the talented ten year-old at the final of Scor na Og dressed in a woolly hat, tweed jacket, over-sized shirt and spectacles as she recited Irish classic ‘The Ould Fiddle’.

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In 2007, just months into her first year at St Pius X College, Magherafelt the fresh-faced 12 year-old beat off singers from across the school to win its ‘Stars in Yer Eyes’ competition as songstress Christina Aquilera.

In 2008 Sophie took the starring role in world-famous musical Annie held at the college.

A year later the former Loughshore singer took centre stage at the Citybeat Young Star Search at Rushmere Shopping Centre, Portadown, wowing a host of celebrity judges and media present at the event.

Now the wee girl from Ardboe has grew up and impressed one of the world’s biggest selling music artists, we wonder, what’s next?